City comparison
Lake Charles, LA is about 150 miles (250 km) from Shreveport, LA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 200 miles, or about 3 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Lake Charles, LA to Shreveport, LA takes about 19 min, covering roughly 150 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Shreveport has a population of 186,183, vs 82,430 in Lake Charles — about 2.3× larger by population. By land area, Shreveport covers about 110 sq mi vs 47 sq mi for Lake Charles.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Lake Charles | Shreveport | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,007/mo | $945/mo | 6.6% higher in Lake Charles |
| Median home value | $191,200 | $168,900 | 13.2% higher in Lake Charles |
| Median household income | $54,761 | $45,967 | 19.1% higher in Lake Charles |
| Groceries index | 94.1 | 94.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 73.8 | 74.6 | 1.0% higher in Shreveport |
| Transportation index | 96.1 | 96.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 95.6 | 95.6 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Lake Charles, you'd need $100,118 in Shreveport to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lake Charles and Shreveport have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Lake Charles, you'd need about $80,095 in Shreveport to keep the same standard of living.